History of Compagnie Phocéenne d'Armement Maritime

The Compagnie Phocéenne d'Armement Maritime was founded in 1966 by the
group Rodrigues-Ely, which had been involved in ship chartering since
the times of steam shipping. The company operated six second-hand cargo
ships named xxx-R.E., xxx being a surname (Lucien, Dina, Renée, Jeanne, Léon and Germaine), on coastal lines between Marseilles and Levant.

In 1973, the company attempted to open a line to Corsica, but this was
refused by the French state for monopole reasons. Therefore, the
operations of the company were concentrated to Greece, Syria, Turkey,
Lebanon, Egypt, and, from time to time, the Red Sea and the Black Sea (Odessa).
The company went out of business in 1984 and was absorbed by the
Compagnie Méridionale de Navigation.